Reno, Nev.-based Sierra Meat & Seafood looks to build upon its legacy businesses and bring specialty meats to a wider audience, but on a growth curve that doesn’t outrun its ability to offer high-quality products.
Nestled in the valley of the Truckee River, near Lake Tahoe in “The Biggest Little City in the World,” versatile protein processor Sierra Meat & Seafood quietly has been making a name for itself in the greater Sierra Nevada region, focused sharply on adding business throughout the United States at a manageable pace and adding value to the proteins supplied by its vertically integrated specialty-meats business.
The company, established in 1935, has made its way over the years by pouncing on opportunities — whether processing or distribution-related — converting them into successful ventures, and occasionally moving on to additional pursuits. The company history is peppered with acquisitions and innovation, but also with divestitures of facilities as well as the relocation of the company headquarters to its current location in Reno, Nev., in 2001. Roughly five years ago, the company sold its California processing facilities, setting up the Reno facility to focus on the northern Nevada foodservice business, a growing private-label steak-cutting business and growth in the popularity of specialty meats.